Baroque Architecture in Italy

 

 Baroque Architecture in Italy

         Introduction

Baroque architecture is a unique pleasing style arose in Italy in the finale of 16^th century, and later on extended through Europe. It was a dramatic and extended form of renaissance architecture which was prevailing in Europe during 15^th century.  The “Italian Baroque architecture were primarily found in churches and palaces in Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, and Austria”. It was more dramatic and theatrical in its outlook and appearance, hence it gained importance than old architectural forms. The baroque architecture was founded by famous architect Christopher Wren (“Baroque Architecture: Definition, History, Characteristics,” n.d.). The most famous “extravagant style of baroque architecture are St. Charles Church Vienna, Schonbrunn Palace, Belvedere palace, old Vienna city hall, imperial stables, St peter’s Basilica Vatican, Church of the Jesu, Palace of Versailles and many more. The generic features include its composite plan and designs, oval shape, and the specialties are “grandeur, dramatic outlook, contrast, lighting, curvy shape, array based surface, glided statuary etc.” more specifically, bright colors and attractive paintings on ceiling and layers is commendable. When it comes to France a classic elements were added and it expanded to central Europe, Britain and Spain and so on. Therefore, Baroque is dramatic and theatrical in its appearance and it overpowered the previous architectures (“Baroque architecture | Definition, Characteristics, & Facts,” n.d.).

Baroque architecture: Early stage

Earlier baroque structure was “meant to be a pearl with movements, and striations”  (“Baroque Architecture,” 2020). The baroque style architecture was initially evolved in Italy and spread across various parts and its scope and expansion was not much appreciated in early stages. The earlier renaissance models were palaces and churches and later it transformed to its various models like “cathedrals, parish churches, and monastic buildings, royal palaces, town planning structures etc.”(“Baroque Architecture: Definition, History, Characteristics,” n.d.). Thus we can see a shift from traditional palaces and churches to the town planning where it preplanned to crate great parks, gardens outside the residential buildings. These architecture repealed old, simple plans and started using “ground plans” which greatly focused to have a better look from the top, but this plan was much more complicated, gorgeous, and vibrant. Baroque plans earlier the renaissance architects used square, or circle or cross for ground plans, but baroque shifted to oval, which is bit tougher than the prior. The points noted by "Baroque Architecture: Definition, History, Characteristics,” (n. d.), has noted that “Francesco Borromini” had found a honey shaped church, and other with convex and concave walls.  Later on other architects established buildings with different designs using name of the king etc. The early baroques was St Peters Basilica, which is mix of renaissance and baroque, include central plan design, Latin cross and front extension etc. later baroques had been mixed with western culture and it is more classic. It used “double sloped mansard roof”, the Chateaux and Palace of Versailles were belonged to this class. The common types are Italian, French and Spanish Baroques and classifications were early, high and late baroques (“Baroque architecture,” 2021).

Baroque architecture: The design, style and technology

The Baroque buildings had a unique ground plan and curving walls as their features. The baroque architecture innovations were not limited to its ground plan, but these buildings were the pioneer of “idea of movement”. Baroque buildings had a unique characteristics of curved walls, which is either regular curves and counter curves and columns. Even the interior designs had curves on walls. It also had used devices like “volutes, scrolls, ears, architectural and ornamental elements like ribbon curls at ends for the exterior of the building. The buildings had listed a tradition on its representations (“Baroque Architecture: Definition, History, Characteristics,” n.d.). It is always a combination of Bernini, Borromini and Crotona’s architecture and it also shows a religious supremacy and beliefs and worship patterns in that period.

The generic features of visual and theatrical effects included;

Domes: The interior of the buildings had paints “ sky filled with angels, sun beams, and heavenly vision” (“Baroque architecture,” 2021).

Quadrature: it was an illusion replicating painting of “saints and angels with stucco frames and decoration. It had three dimensions and found Atlantes on some paintings (“Baroque architecture,” 2021).

Grand stairways: The stairways had a central region with dramatic them which give different views and it was a place of ceremonies (“Baroque architecture,” 2021).

Cartouche: these were the pictographs with “sculpted frames and forms” which give three D views to the building walls (“Baroque architecture,” 2021).

Mirrors: paced which provide a hollow of deep and bigger place. These can be found at “ Hall of mirrors and  Palace of Versailles”. (“Baroque architecture,” 2021).

Incomplete architecture: some places they have created incompleteness which gives a disorienting eye(“Baroque architecture,” 2021).

Chiaroscuro: which is a type of art which is a combo of dark and light which gives a better impression and in-depth and dramatic 3-D view (“Baroque architecture,” 2021).

Overhead Sculpture: “this was widely used with a potty figures of small male child on ceiling which is of wood material, plaster or stucco, marble etc. which gives a dramatic impressive outlook of floating in the air” (“Baroque architecture,” 2021).

Solomonic column or “Barley sugar column with a spiraling twisting shaft with motion”. (“Baroque architecture,” 2021).

Elliptical or oval spaces were widely used and they have tried to avoid right angles (“Baroque architecture,” 2021).

Baroque: Architecture with Vaults and Buttresses

The Baroque churches were formed with vaulted and domed roofs and “counterthrust” buttress to extract the outward pressure. Christopher Wren has used walls up to the nave to support the buttresses and walls. He has used the technology of quadratura for this purpose (“Baroque Architecture: Definition, History, Characteristics,” n.d.).  The Baroque architecture was single by having a combination of many elements like faced, ground plan, interior designs, dome, etc. the facade was facing outside and it had storeys which were vertically having elements like “columns, pilasters, cornices, or pediments from the wall”  by replacing the old vertical storey. The traditional outlook of the architecture was driven from the sculptures and paintings used. The  “Baroque Architecture: Definition, History, Characteristics,” (n. d. ) also noted that generally baroque buildings are “complex, surprising and dynamic” in its features.

The Light and “rising and falling” order:

 The light had given many effects on Baroque buildings and they have covered its exterior and interior which given a dramatic and theatrical effect”. This is not giving light to all parts, but by concentrating on some parts and other parts given a shadow effect or darkness. The decoration of the building also brought many features to the light effect. Thus, the light has made manipulated vibrant look to the buildings (“Baroque Architecture: Definition, History, Characteristics,” n.d.)

 The buildings of Baroque model used orders like “Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian and Composite” which are always different from each other proportionately with its columns, pilasters and vertical liking and soon” (“Baroque Architecture: Definition, History, Characteristics,” n.d.).

Italian, French and German Baroque Architectures:

Italy was the origin of baroque architecture and later it transcended to other places like French, Germany, and Britain etc. The major professional architects in Italy were “Bernini, Borromini, Pietro da Crotona and Guarino Guarini etc. and they even had different accent and styles in baroque models. The famous St. Peter’s Basilica belongs to this group and it shows transformation from renaissance, and it also represents the “Christian art” (“Baroque Architecture: Definition, History, Characteristics,” n.d.).

The French Baroque architecture was a different form of baroque model in France where the pioneers were “Salomon de Brosse, Francois Mansart, Louis Le Vau, and Jacques Lemercier etc”.  Here, besides personality classification of school in which they belonged was significant. They have used French decorative art and French furniture were used(“Baroque Architecture: Definition, History, Characteristics,” n.d.). The German baroque architecture was much similar to Italian model, which was prominent in Austria and Germany. But in Germany, baroque came late in 17^th century due to the presence of war. The major architects were “Johann Bernhard, Fischer von Erlach, and Johann Lukas von Hidebrandt etc.” (“Baroque Architecture: Definition, History, Characteristics,” n.d.).

 

Conclusion:

Baroque architecture was a model developed in Italy and spread across different regions in the later evolutionary stages. The commonly found classifications are Italian Baroque architecture, French Baroques and German Baroques. This model was developed by replacing the existing renaissance model of architectures and became a largely “decorative and theatrical” model. The evidences proves that Baroque models is closely associated with Catholic Churches and palaces(“Baroque architecture,” 2021). It has taken its base from the “renaissance architecture”, but eliminated rectangles and its general features. The Domes, Colonnades, were taken from early period. But baroque model has introduced many interior and exterior effects, lighting mechanism, dramatic views and ceiling decorations etc. (“Baroque architecture,” 2021).

 The (“Baroque Architecture,” 2020) notes that baroque architecture is a continuation of renaissance architecture, but it always shows its reaction against it renaissance by modeling and innovating. The basic features were taken from renaissance and decorated in a “dramatic and theatrical way”. Thus, this baroque model proves that, it finds scope for inventing and provides an “artistic expression”.

 

 

 References:

 Baroque architecture, 2021. . Wikipedia.

Baroque architecture | Definition, Characteristics, & Facts [WWW Document], n.d. . Encyclopedia Britannica. URL https://www.britannica.com/art/Baroque-architecture (accessed 4.10.21).

Baroque Architecture: Definition, History, Characteristics [WWW Document], n.d. URL http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/baroque-architecture.htm (accessed 4.10.21).

Baroque Architecture: The History, The Form, and The Artists [WWW Document], 2020. . Indonesia Design. URL https://indonesiadesign.com/story/baroque-architecture (accessed 4.10.21).

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